The disclosures of Japanese Patent Application Nos. 2000-114271 filed on Apr. 14, 2000 and 2001-096960 filed on Mar. 29, 2001, including the specifications, drawings and abstracts are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology so that those who carry out a business using a material containing chemical substances can easily calculate the discharge and transfer amount of the chemical substances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many people proceed business activity using various materials which contain chemical substances. For example, those who engage in the production of automobiles use a coating in the production process of the automobiles. Chemical substances such as toluene, xylene, and the like are contained in the coating. Those who engage in the cleaning business use various cleansers. Various chemical substances are also contained in various cleansers. Materials containing the chemical substances which are used for a business are discharged in air, water basin and the like. Some of the chemical substances are supplied to the market as products such as an automobile and the like.
In order to grasp where and what kind of the chemical substances were discharged and transferred by every delivery separate whereabouts of the chemical substances such as products, air, water basin and the like, those who use materials containing the chemical substances must investigate many matters. Firstly, they must know what kind of chemical substances are contained and how much they are contained in the materials which they use. Secondly, they must know at what ratio the chemical substances are discharged and transferred by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances such as products, air, water basin and the like, according to a use method and a discharge method carried out by themselves. For example, even in the same washing liquids, the discharge rate by every separate whereabouts such as air or water basin differs depending on a case of washing work pieces by soaking them or a case of washing work pieces by blowing them. In addition, even if the components of the washed and contaminated wash liquids are identical, the discharge and transfer rate by every separate whereabouts differs depending on the subsequent water discharging method.
Rigorous man power is required to really carry out the above-mentioned tasks. Even at a first stage, they must investigate a list of the chemical substances and contents by every chemical substance by inquiring them to the supplier of the materials. Further, the data are often changed by the circumstances of the supplier of the materials. At a second stage, it is more troublesome, the calculation of the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts is sometimes difficult, and a big scale experiment is required in some cases.
In order to reduce the load of labors required for the first stage, a technology described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-29900 is proposed. In this technology, a plurality of business corporations cooperate each other and propose a technology for making the list of the chemical substances contained in the materials and the contents of the respective materials a database, by noticing that there is a sequence that one complex material is made by combination of a plurality of materials, and a high dimensional materials is made by combination of the complex materials with other materials.
FIG. 1 exemplifies a case that a material D is prepared from a material A and a material B, and a material E is made from a material C and a material D. In this technology, the business corporations related to the sequence of the materials complete a common database of components in cooperation with each other. The database of components 2 are constructed in a server, a group of the suppliers of materials utilizes a network 4 such as an internet or the like, complete the database 2 in cooperation with each other, and utilizes it in cooperation with each other.
Firstly, the supplier of the material A registers in the database 2 that a chemical substance P is contained by a% in the material A that he supplies. Simultaneously, the supplier of the material B registers in the database 2 that the chemical substance P is contained by b% in the material B which he supplies. Those producing the material D using the material A and the material B access the database 2, so that they can know the content of the chemical substance P in the material A and the material B which they use as a raw material. Accordingly, the supplier of the material D can calculate the content of the chemical substance P in the material D which he supplies and the content ratio from the above-mentioned data, and registers it in the database of components 2.
The database of components related to many materials can be prepared speedy while suppressing the load of the respective business corporations to lower level, by applying the above-mentioned technology to a series of sequences of the materials.
Although the above-mentioned technology is a very good technology of providing speedy the database of components of the chemical substances contained in materials while suppressing the load to lower level, the discharge and transfer amount of the chemical substances by every delivery separate whereabouts cannot be calculated only by the technology.
For example, the discharge and transfer amount calculated by every separate whereabouts such an air, water basin and the like differs quite between a case that a metal material is immersed in the material A containing a% of the chemical substance P and the material A is coated on the metal material, and a case that the material A is coated on the metal material by spraying. The discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts differs depending on a case of primarily processing and comprehensively water discharging washing liquid A containing a% of a chemical substance P or a case of comprehensively water discharging without primary processing. Of course, the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts differs depending on a case of incinerating sludge produced by water discharge processing or a case of land fill.
Accordingly, even if it can be known, for example, that a g of the chemical substance P is contained in 100 g of the material A from the fore-mentioned database, the discharge and transfer amount of the chemical substance P by every separate whereabouts cannot be calculated only by the data.
An object of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of calculating the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances by every separate whereabouts, by developing the fore-mentioned conventional database of components which is commonly utilized.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, a calculation method of the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances by every separate whereabouts is equipped with
(1) a step of inputting and storing a data which indicates a material, a use step of the material and a use amount of the material which are transmitted from a client terminal through a network;
(2) a step of searching for a database of material components storing the contained chemical substance and content thereof corresponding to the material by using the inputted material as a key, and searching for the chemical substance contained in the material and the content;
(3) a step of searching for the database of a material balance coefficient which stores a ratio in which the chemical substance is discharged and transferred by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substance such as air, water basin, a product and the like corresponding to the chemical substance and the use step of the material by using the searched chemical substance and the inputted use step of the material as a key, and searching for the discharge and transfer ratio by every separate whereabouts when the searched chemical substance is used in the inputted use step of the material;
(4) a step of calculating the discharge and transfer amount of the chemical substances by every separate whereabouts based on the searched discharge and transfer ratio, the inputted use amount of the material, and the searched contents; and
(5) a step of transmitting the calculated discharge and transfer amount by very separate whereabouts when the searched chemical substance to a client terminal through a network.
Wherein it is important that the database of a material balance coefficient used in (3) is prepared and the database is utilized.
As described above, the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances by every separate whereabouts changes wholly according to the method of using the materials. However, there are various methods of using the materials, and every business corporation uses its own proprietary use method. Accordingly, when the respective business corporations prepare the database in cooperation with each other, it remains at providing database with a high multiusability of components and utilizing it in cooperation, and a calculation equation of the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts must be completed according to its own proprietary use method of the business corporation, beyond it.
However, the present inventor studied intensively, and as a result, found that when a category of a material and the material are specified, the method of using the material is unexpectedly limited, and number which realistically one can input selectively is actually spotted. On the other hand, when a ratio in which chemical substances are discharged and transferred is determined by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances to air, water basin, a product and the like corresponding to the chemical substances and the use steps of materials, it was confirmed that a comparatively accurate ratio can be bestowed by every classification even if a use method is classified by the number that one can select realistically.
Making the best use of the information, it was found that the present invention constructs a database of a material balance coefficient which stores a ratio in which the chemical substances are discharged and transferred by every separate whereabouts to air, water basin, a product and the like corresponding to the chemical substances and the use steps of the materials, and utilizes it in cooperation with each other. Thus the user of the material was designed to be able to calculate the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances which contained in the material, by every separate whereabouts.
According to the above-mentioned embodiment, the user of the material can obtain the calculation result of the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances which contained in the material, by every separate whereabouts by only inputting the material used, the step of using the material, and the use amount of the material from the client terminal. Further, the user of the material can calculate using the discharge and transfer ratio which is very close to the real discharge and transfer ratio by every separate whereabouts in the use step which he uses, and a reliable discharge and transfer amount is calculated.
In the above-mentioned embodiment, the calculation process of the discharge and transfer amount whose calculation method should be naturally established at every place of business, can be systematically treated, and a plurality of places of business are designed to be able to utilize the calculation process in cooperation with each other.
Some materials are discharged and transferred without any special processing after use or other materials are processed and discharged after use. For example, the coating adhered to products shipped after coated moves from industrialists without special processing after use. In this case, there is no need to consider the discharge step in calculating the discharge and transfer rate by every separate whereabouts. However, in the case where the materials are processed and discharged after use, the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts cannot be calculated without considering the discharge step.
A calculation method in a second embodiment of the present invention has been developed.
This calculation method comprises:
(1a) a step of inputting and storing data indicating materials, the material use step, the material use amount, and the discharge step which are transmitted from a client terminal through a network;
(2a) a step of searching a material component database that stores contained chemical substances and contents in association with the substance by defining the inputted material as a key, and then, searching the chemical substances contained in the material and contents;
(3a) a step of searching a material balance coefficient database that stores a rate of which chemical substances are discharged and transferred by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances such as air, water basin, a product and the like in association with the chemical substances, material use step, and discharge step by defining as a key the searched chemical substances, inputted material use step, and discharge step, and then, searching a discharge and transfer rate by every separate whereabouts when the searched chemical substances are discharged at the discharge step used and inputted at the inputted material use step;
(4a) a step of calculating the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances based on the searched discharge and transfer rate, inputted material use amount, and searched contents; and
(5a) a step of transferring the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of the calculated chemical substances to the client terminal through a network.
Even a variety of discharge Steps that seem to exist infinitely can be systematically and hierarchically classified by the Inventor research. When this classification system is employed, it was verified that a variety of discharge steps can be classified by the number to an extent such that one can select it realistically. Moreover, it was verified that the discharge and transfer rate by classification can be approximated to a practically usable extent by being classified by the number of such extents.
According to this method, the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts can be calculated in consideration of the discharge step.
It is preferable that the above calculation be executed without man power. Thus, of the steps, at (1a), data indicating the materials, the material use step, the material use amount, and the discharge step which are transmitted from the client terminal through a network is inputted to a server, and is stored therein. The steps of (2a) to (5a) are executed by the server.
In this case, the client can execute the above calculation online. This online calculation may not be executable in all cases, and is valid even in the case where the calculation is possible only under special conditions.
In another point of view, the method of the present invention in directed to a method of calculating the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances for the client by executing:
(6) a stage of displaying a material list classified by material categories to the client terminal, and then, prompting the client to input the use material and material use amount;
(7) a stage of displaying a hierarchically classified material use step list on the client terminal, and then, prompting the client to input the material use step;
(8) a stage of displaying a hierarchically classified discharge step list on the client terminal, and then, prompting the client to input the discharge step; and
(9) a stage of inputting to the server the use material, material use amount, and material use step, and discharge step inputted from the client terminal, calculating the discharge amount by very separate whereabouts of the chemical substances contained in the use material by the server, and then, outputting the amount to the client terminal.
Lists displayed on the client terminal may be all displayed at the same time or may be displayed in an interactive format while only the associated portion is extracted.
In this case, the client can input the materials, material use amount, material use step, and discharge step used by himself or herself while the client is supported by information displayed at the client terminal.
In this manner, data required for calculating the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances is inputted, and the server calculates discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances based on the inputted data. The calculation result is outputted to the Client""s server.
In this way, the client can calculate the discharge and transfer amount by chemical substances without investigating the material component composition or the discharge and transfer rate affected by the use step and discharge step.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, a server for calculating the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances by every separate whereabouts has
(10) means for inputting and storing a data indicating a material, a use step of the material, and a use amount of the material;
(11) database of a material component storing the chemical substance contained and the content corresponding to the material;
(12) means for searching for the database of the material component using the inputted material as a key, and searching for the chemical substance and the content contained in the material;
(13) a database of a material balance coefficient which stores a ratio in which the chemical substance is discharged and transferred by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substance such as air, water basin, a product and the like corresponding to the chemical substance and the use step of the material;
(14) means for searching for the database of a material balance coefficient using the searched chemical substance and the inputted use step of the material as a key, and searching for the discharge and transfer ratio by every separate whereabouts when the searched chemical substance is used in the inputted use step of the material,
(15) means for calculating the discharge and transfer amount of the chemical substances by every separate whereabouts based on the searched discharge and transfer ratio, the inputted use amount of the material and the searched content; and
(16) means for outputting the calculated discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances.
The above-mentioned server realizes an environment for carrying out the above-mentioned calculation method by connecting to a client terminal through the Network such as the internet and the like. Under the environment, a plurality of the places of business utilize the server in cooperation with each other, and can calculate the discharge and transfer amount of the chemical substances by every separate whereabouts at a short time and a little load.
In the case where the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts cannot be calculated without considering the discharge step, the following server is employed. This server comprises:
(10a) means for inputting and storing data indicating a material, a material use step, a material use amount, and a discharge step;
(11a) a material component database that stores contained chemical substances and contents in association with an inputted material;
(12a) means for searching the material component database by defining the inputted material as a key, and then, searching the chemical substances contained in the material and the contents;
(13a) a material balance coefficient database that stores a rate of which the chemical substances are discharged and transferred by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances such as air, water basin, a product and the like in association with the chemical substances, material use step, and discharge step;
(14a) means for searching the material balance coefficient database by defining the searched chemical substances, inputted material use step, and discharge step as a key, and then, searching the discharge and transfer rate by every separate whereabouts when the searched chemical substances are discharged at the discharge step used and inputted at the inputted material use step;
(15a) means for calculating the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances based on the searched discharge and transfer rate, inputted material use amount, and searched contents; and
(16a) means for outputting the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of the calculated chemical substances.
This server can calculate the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances in consideration of the discharge step.
The present invention also provides a computer system for calculating the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances. In this system, the client terminals are connected to a server for calculating the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances through Internet or a network such as in-house computer network. In this system,
(17) the client terminal prompts the client to interactively input data-indicating materials, material use step, material use amount, and discharge step; and
(18) the server for calculating the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances calculates the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances, and transmits the calculation result to the client terminal by employing the material component database that stores the contained chemical substances and contents in association with materials and a material balance coefficient database that stores a rate of which the chemical substances are discharged and transferred by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances such as air, water basin, a product and the like in association with the chemical substances, material use step, and discharge step.
According to this computer system, the client can know on the spot, the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances contained in materials used by himself or herself by answering questions in the interactive form.
In the above computer system, it is preferable that the material supplier server is connected to a network, and the material component database is updated based on data transmitted from the material supplier server.
In this case, the updating of the material component database in executed timely and smoothly.
Moreover, the material component database can be opened to a network. In this case, the material component database itself serves as product information or an xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d-market place on an xe2x80x9cexe2x80x9d-commerce, and the expansion and rich contents of the material component database are accelerated. It is expected that the material component database is expanded in a self-increment manner.
In the above case, it is preferable that an operator of the server for calculating the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances checks data transmitted from the material supplier server, and the material component database is updated based on the checked data.
By doing this, the reliability of the database can be guaranteed.
In the case where the material supplier server is connected to a network, the substance component database can store link information indicating an address having stored therein the component information on each material that exists in the material supplier server.
In this case, the material component database can be compressed, and moreover, the maintenance and management of the database can be simplified.
In the above computer system, it is preferable that the client terminals capable of browsing the material component database are restricted by material.
For example, there can be applied a restriction that the suppliers of materials X, Y, and Z can browse the material X without any limitation; the suppliers can browse chemical substances Y1 to Y3 with respect to the material Y, but only specified clients can browse any other substance; and only specific clients can browse all the information on contained chemical substances for the material Z.
Some materials include sales secret information n contained chemical substances and their contents. Ther exists information which can be disclosed to specific clients, but cannot be disclosed to any other client. For example, such information may be disclosed to the clients using the corresponding materials, but may not be disclosed to any person other than the user. Even if the above restriction is applied, the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances contained in materials used by the clients can be calculated.
Required component data can be easily acquired by permitting the above restrictions. Thus, the system usage can be expanded.
It is preferable that the client terminal has a function for printing in a document format the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances transmitted from the server for calculating the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances.
Providing this function makes it possible to inform the necessary departments and sections of the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances.
It is more preferable that the client terminal has a function for printing in an intensive document format the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of the chemical substances transmitted from the server for calculating the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances.
The discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts of chemical substances may require the discharge and transfer amount by finely classified destination depending on intended use or may require the discharge and transfer amount by roughly classified destination. A document according to intended use can be created by providing the above integrating function.
According to the above-mentioned second embodiment, the user of the material can obtain the calculation result of the discharge and transfer amount of chemical substances which contained in the material, by every separate whereabouts, by only inputting the material used, the use step of the material, and the use amount of the material (discharge step as required) from the client terminal. At this time, the user of the material can calculate the discharge and transfer amount using the discharge and transfer ratio which is very close to the real discharge and transfer ratio by every separate whereabouts in the use process which is used by the user (occasionally, use step and discharge step), and a reliable discharge and transfer amount is calculated at a short time and a little load.
Accordingly, the business man whose user ought to grasp the discharge and transfer amount by every separate whereabouts can exactly perform at a little load the duty imparted, such as the first kind assigned chemical substance which was assigned in the Act (PRTR Act) related to the acceleration of improving the grasp of the discharge amount of a specified chemical substance to environment and the management, and the like.